Rode a CBR 600 RR

[kpaul]

I took my friend's CBR to a parking lot so she could practice yesterday, quite the neat little ride. It felt likes I was crouching on top of the bike rather than sitting on it. With the boots on I'm probably rocking about 6'5" or so, the ergos are definitely not fit for my height.

Beyond that, the bike is a hell of a lot of fun to ride, all the torque you'd ever need right from the get-go. It practically falls into the turns as soon as you think about it. The biggest difference was perhaps the gearshift. As soon as you start to lift your foot, it clicks into the next gear. My FZ6 takes quite a lift to get it up into the next gear, so that was quite a pleasant surprise to me.

I'll definitely keep my FZ for the foreseeable future, although I could see getting more of a "true" sportbike on the side at some point. I'll definitely need some lower pegs though.

And she took some shots of my bike with her fancy camera:

 

[sixsix]

Us taller folk need adjustable rearsets to ride a bike like that, even then it still feels strange to me. I'm 6'5" too, and if I ever have the cash my next bike will be an aprilia rsv4. I sat on one and I couldn't even flat foot it. It's a tall bike and has lots of room.

 

[GConn]

The RR is great for having fun, but it doesn't compare in any way with the touring capabilites of the FZ...The seating position is literaly becoming a pain after riding 2 hours...

 

[Dennis in NH]

Great camera. That pic of the 600RR looks good. I wish my camera could take pics like that -- perhaps it's the photographer .

Yup, those higher pegs can get to you esp. if you have long legs. FZ6 has an advantage there.

Did you let her try your bike and see what she thinks? maybe you can swap once in a while.

Dennis

 

[Cochiez]

Yup, that CBR is a great little bike. I wish I fit on them.

I miss the days when you didn't have to squat on top of a sportbike to ride it. Unfortunately, anything that fits me resembles a 'busa or ZX14. Don't get me wrong, they're sweet, but they're not real sport bikes - they're just muscle cars cut in half. Other than that, you're looking at a "premium" brand - something that costs 2 or 3 times my FZ.

That's why I'll stick with my Fazer for now. It may not be a "real" sport bike either, but I fit on it, it's more nimble than a 'busa, and it's cheaper to own than a Sprint of VFR.

 

[Chris]

Yup, that CBR is a great little bike. I wish I fit on them.

I miss the days when you didn't have to squat on top of a sportbike to ride it. Unfortunately, anything that fits me resembles a 'busa or ZX14. Don't get me wrong, they're sweet, but they're not real sport bikes - they're just muscle cars cut in half. Other than that, you're looking at a "premium" brand - something that costs 2 or 3 times my FZ.

That's why I'll stick with my Fazer for now. It may not be a "real" sport bike either, but I fit on it, it's more nimble than a 'busa, and it's cheaper to own than a Sprint of VFR.

How tall are you? I'm about 6'2" and one thing I didn't like too much with the FZ was that every time I wanted to tuck in or put more weight over the front wheel, I ended up with my hands in my armpits. To me it felt really awkward for "spirited" riding.. =P While the clip-ons on my 750 are a bit too low for slow city traffic, the riding position fits me very well for everything else. It's all about personal preference though. What may suit one rider, might be terrible for another.

 

[Cochiez]

How tall are you? I'm about 6'2" and one thing I didn't like too much with the FZ was that every time I wanted to tuck in or put more weight over the front wheel, I ended up with my hands in my armpits. To me it felt really awkward for "spirited" riding.. =P While the clip-ons on my 750 are a bit too low for slow city traffic, the riding position fits me very well for everything else. It's all about personal preference though. What may suit one rider, might be terrible for another.

I've found that standard sportbike technique doesn't work for me on the FZ - I guess I ride it somewhere between sportbike-style and supermoto-style. Not sure if that makes sense. :BLAA:

You're right though, it's totally about personal preference. I also think the gixxers and R's have better ergos for taller folk than the CBRs or ninjas (especially ninjas, ugh). That said, I haven't really spent any time riding any of them - just initial impressions from tooling around on em.

 

[Cochiez]

Oh, and I'm about 6'3.

 

[kpaul]

Great camera. That pic of the 600RR looks good. I wish my camera could take pics like that -- perhaps it's the photographer .

Yup, those higher pegs can get to you esp. if you have long legs. FZ6 has an advantage there.

Did you let her try your bike and see what she thinks? maybe you can swap once in a while.

Dennis

It's a fancy camera and she knows how to use it.

She didn't try mine, she just passed the msf course so I figure we should just let her get used to her bike first. Her biggest obstacle is just getting comfortable with everything. Also, she can't flat-foot the CBR so she definitely can't flat-foot the FZ. Once she's got the hang of things, I'll definitely let her take the FZ for a ride, I'm sure it'll be an extremely comfortable experience for her.

 

[ELIZABETH]

Tell your friend her bike is beautiful!! :thumbup:

 

[Signal 50]

I love those CBR's. Honda makes some of the best looking sport bikes IMO. Unfortunately I don't think I will ever own one. The riding position is just too uncomfortable for me.

 

[Nick J]

Yep, those CBR's are pretty nice bikes. I have a couple of friends who had the same bike as your friend and we'd switch off once in a while. They sure are fun to ride (for a short while) but my FZ6 is a lot more comfy. And those guys didn't have anything over me on our rides. Sure, riding position is a personal preference but the handling of my FZ is just as good as any "sport" bike.

 

[mcteague]

It's a fancy camera and she knows how to use it.

She didn't try mine, she just passed the msf course so I figure we should just let her get used to her bike first. Her biggest obstacle is just getting comfortable with everything. Also, she can't flat-foot the CBR so she definitely can't flat-foot the FZ. Once she's got the hang of things, I'll definitely let her take the FZ for a ride, I'm sure it'll be an extremely comfortable experience for her.

Oh dear. Just passed her MSF and bought a race replica that she cannot flat foot. Why do I get the feeling this is going to end badly? At least she has someone to help her practice and, hopefully, go easy on the throttle for a while.

Tim

 

[ozzieboy]

I rode an 05 last year, bringing a mate's back from where he bought it (not licenced for it at the time). I found it less agile than the FZ6, very stable when giving it the berries, but it didn't really lend itself to riding in the normal seated position. It didn't really want to feel neutral in the turn until I was hanging off it. It then felt sweet as:thumbup:. Definitely a great bike. No good for an old fat guy like me though. It's like wrestling with a turtle:BLAA:.

 

[Tailgate]

Maybe someday there will be a bike that, something as RoboCop, NightRider, or a convertible, can instantly transform. It would be nice if the FZ6 sport tour could "adjust" to SS ergos. That would be nice.

 

[kpaul]

Oh dear. Just passed her MSF and bought a race replica that she cannot flat foot. Why do I get the feeling this is going to end badly? At least she has someone to help her practice and, hopefully, go easy on the throttle for a while.

Tim

You're tellin me.Trust me, I tried, but it was a losing battle. At least I got her to agree to a couple different stages of practice: She handled the parking lot just fine, next I'll have her practice in a small residential neighborhood and then in a slow but trafficked part of our suburb. After that she needs to learn on her own.

I got her and my gf MSF courses for Christmas, so she's got her license at least. I also put the fear of God in her, so she now has an appropriate mix of terror and courage. So far as not being able to flat-foot it, it really isn't a big deal. I saw her stall it a few times in the lot and she had no problems, but she will be getting it lowered sometime soon.

 

[mcteague]

You're tellin me.Trust me, I tried, but it was a losing battle. At least I got her to agree to a couple different stages of practice: She handled the parking lot just fine, next I'll have her practice in a small residential neighborhood and then in a slow but trafficked part of our suburb. After that she needs to learn on her own.

I got her and my gf MSF courses for Christmas, so she's got her license at least. I also put the fear of God in her, so she now has an appropriate mix of terror and courage. So far as not being able to flat-foot it, it really isn't a big deal. I saw her stall it a few times in the lot and she had no problems, but she will be getting it lowered sometime soon.

Cool. You might also want to warn her about using the front brake when turning at slow speed. So many people dump their bikes when the fork compresses and drops to whatever side the wheel is turned. I nearly dropped mine the first week I had it doing just that. I now keep my fingers off the front brake when doing slow speed turns.

Tim

 

[dankatz]

Beautiful bike! The 07+ CBR600 have a ton of midrange torque compared to all the other 600 anc definitely compared to our FZ. It is a smaller bike that hopefully she'll get used to. I am concerned that she will drop this beautiful bike and hurt herself. I bought my wife a 2007 Ninja 250 which she promptly dropped on the third try when she thought she was getting the hang of it. Now, it is predropped. Also, that bike was $2400 - not too bad, low enough for her to feel comfortable and very forgiving for a newbie. Anyway, best of luck. I sometimes contemplate getting a race replica (CB600RR or GSX750), but 95% of my riding is in the city, so the FZ6 fits better (especially with the Givi trunk). Lastly, it would be nice if the handlebars were adjustable and you could move them up or down an inch like with the the FZ6R.

 

[rickthefix]

i have 07 FZ6 & also a 04 ZX6R. I love to ride both, but the ZX6R is the most fun in the tight twisties. I rode it for 450 miles the first time I went on a long ride in N GA & NC mountains. Yep, had a sore rump for a day r 2 afterwards, but it was a great ride! Just did 290 miles Saturday on the FZ6 in N GA and rump was just a little sore, but OK after an hour or so.
The key to riding a true sport bike is having a strong core, using your stomach & back muscles to keep your back straight & not use your arms as upper body supports.